I had leaned myself back against the headboard of Jack's bed and stretched my body out before adjusting him so that he was between my legs. His head was resting on my shoulder and our fingers were laced together on his stomach.

He was talking and laughing with Zack and Rian about something, but, honestly, I didn't really know what. All I could bring myself to focus on was the way his hold would tighten on my hands the harder he laughed and how, when he laughed just a little too much, he'd do his best to turn and bury his face in my arm.

We weren't talking directly, but it was good. It was more than good. It made me feel like a teenage girl, stupid butterflies flapping around in my gut without my consent.

"Alex... Lex, you okay?" Jack asked, leaning himself a little to the left so that he could crane his neck just enough to see me full-on.

I was prepared to grin and nod, kiss at his nose and inquire as to why I wouldn't be okay, but then the change in weight against my body was telling me exactly why I wouldn't be okay. Guess that feeling hadn't been butterflies after all. Not completely, at least...

Nevertheless, I did my best to contain myself and sent him a small smile before ducking forward to press a sloppy kiss to his cheek.

"I'm fine," I assured, then nudging him off of myself as gently yet quickly as possible so that I could stand and try to casually make my way across the room. "Really fine. Great, actually. I just, uh... kinda really need to—"

"Take a right, and it's the second door on your left, dude," Zack supplied. He could probably see my eyes watering from his position on the floor across the room.

Another nod and then I was practically sprinting down the hall and to where Zack had directed me. It was on accident that the door slammed in place, and I'd barely tugged my dick out of my pants when I heard it open again.

Part of me didn't care if someone had walked in, but another part of me said that maybe it'd be for the better to scrounge up some dignity. Probably wouldn't be the best first way for my boyfriend to see my dick.

I tugged my jeans up much farther than they should've been pulled... ever, by anyone... and turned to see that it was only Rian. Which, alright, was still not something I wanted to deal with given the fact that I'd actually just crushed my balls, but he'd seen me naked before. The showers in a men's locker room after a difficult game really aren't the most private of places.

With a pained groan and large exhale, I was wiggling my pants down just enough for the head of my dick to peek through the zipper hole as I let loose, another groan (this one of slight relief) passing my lips and my eyes slipping closed.

"So Jack said something about you getting jealous about your friend, Oli," Rian said, somehow sounding casual yet intrigued. "What was that all about?"

"What do you mean?" I countered, giving the good ol' one-two shake as my bladder decided it was finally empty and then getting myself resituated comfortably.

"I mean, dude, what the hell? He doesn't know about Oli?" Rian hissed, eyes glued to me in the mirror as I washed my hands. "Of all the people you decide to not tell him about, you decide that Oli is the one?"

"What does he need to know about Oli? He's not important," I snapped. It was the sound of Rian sighing that had a slight flood of guilt washing through my body. It's understandable that he only wants what he sees as being the best for his best friend.

"Look, dude, Jack already thinks you're gonna start keeping things from him. I know he imagines having the perfect relationship with the Alex Gaskarth, and I don't doubt that's what you want to give him, but to do that, you gotta let him know about you, too. Your fears, your past, your hopes, your friends, your enemies. He's a part of it all now—a pretty damn big one. Keeping him in the dark about these things seems easier now, but it'll just cause problems in the long run."

I glanced up at his reflection in the mirror as I shut the tap off, shaking my hands over the sink before patting them dry on my jeans. "Tell me, Dawson: when did you become the love guru?" I teased. My joking manner didn't last long enough for him to even answer before I thought of something else. "How come he doesn't already know about me and Oli? Everyone on campus at least knows that we fucking hate each other. It's not like we try to hide it."

Rian sighed again, answering, "I'm sure you of all people have noticed that he really isn't all that social. He goes to school, pays attention to what he needs to, and then goes home. He's not one to care too much about what other people are doing, you included until now."

"That would explain why he never noticed me staring at him before," I realized.

“That would explain it,” Rian agreed, and I could see him roll his eyes. “Anyway, I didn’t come in here to tell you how to run your relationship or anything. Do whatever you feel is right. But if he gets hurt because of what you decide, I’ll hurt you. Got it?”

Part of me didn’t think Rian had it in him to hurt someone, but a bigger part of me wasn’t willing to push him. But I would also rather just let Jack live in ignorance. That does amount to bliss, doesn’t it?

Turning to open the bathroom door, I groaned. “I’ll think about it, dude, alright?” I assured, and he sent me a small smile.

“That’s all I can really ask for.”

“So does Jack know that you followed me in there?” I questioned as we slowly made our way back down the hallway towards his bedroom.

Rian laughed and shook his head, answering, “I told him that I was just gonna wait out in the hall and talk to you when you came back out. Said that it was real important stuff about football, and that I’d already told Zack about it. Zack almost didn’t get it at first, but thankfully he did.”

I nodded, opening the correct door once it was reached and immediately moving to resume my place on Jack’s bed. He’d sprawled out on the mattress in my absence, though, and I flopped down on top of him before he could even get the chance to move.

He began to laugh as I pushed my face into his neck, my breath tickling the skin there. Skinny arms did their best to get me to move, but it was all to no avail. Pressing a small kiss to Jack’s neck, I wiggled my arms under his body and then flipped us over so that he was on top of me instead, his head resting against my chest.

“Did I miss anything important?” I asked quietly, his hair brushing against my lips as I spoke. Jack shook his head and moved to prop his body up on his forearms, looking down at me and grinning widely. “Mm, you weren’t talking about me again, were you?” I teased, and he turned red, falling back to my chest and hiding himself as best as he could.

“Zack said he’s gotta get going soon,” he told me, turning his head just the slightest bit so that he could see around his room.

“Sorry, dude. Homework’s kickin’ my ass lately. If I fail this semester, I’m off the team. Who’s gonna save Gaskarth’s ass all the time if I’m not there?” Zack joked, and Rian coughed dramatically.

“I save both of your asses,” he grumbled, “but I should probably get going soon. Cassadee said something about there being a new movie she wants to see, so maybe she’ll wanna go today or something. I’ll see you guys later.” He shot me a look before exiting the room, but Jack didn’t seem to catch it as he waved a goodbye to both of his friends.

“So what do you want to do with the rest of the day?” I asked when the door was shut behind Zack.

Jack shrugged as best he could against me, and it almost felt like his heartbeat quickened just that little bit more. “Think I just wanna nap,” he decided after a moment, snuggling himself closer and grumbling something under his breath about how we were both on top of the blankets.

I squeezed his sides gently, leaning up to press a kiss to his hair. “You want me to leave? You can text me when you wake up, alright?”

“No, stay,” he muttered, clinging to me tighter. “Nap with me. We can do something later. Like a date or something.”

“You’ll let me take you out on a date if I nap with you?” I couldn’t help but shake my head before kissing his hair again. “I guess that sounds pretty fair.”

“Night, pumpkin.”

“Night, angel.”

---

“We can go somewhere else, y’know… money isn’t an issue or anything…” I trailed out, looking around. After Jack had woken up, I’d asked him about what kind of date he wanted to go on. He decided that he was hungry for Taco Bell. “If you want Mexican, there’s a place across the street that’s really awesome. It’s cheaper, too, in case it is about money or whatever… but it doesn’t matter, whatever makes you happy.”

Jack almost looked ashamed about wanting to eat at the fast food restaurant. It kind of made me feel bad. I wanted to give him whatever he wanted, and then I had to go and criticize something that he wanted.

Wrapping my arm around his waist, I pulled him into my side and pressed my nose to his temple. “Get anything that your little heart desires, okay?” I murmured.

“Well, if you don’t wanna be here—”

“No, no, go on, it’s our turn. You go ahead and order anything that catches your eye,” I said, nudging him forward. I didn’t nearly choke on my tongue as he ordered not one, not two, but five burritos. How could that much food fit into such a thin person? Nevertheless, I kissed at his neck, trying to play my shock off as nothing.

When it came to be my turn to order, Jack’s five burritos suddenly didn’t seem all that bad. Two quesadillas, two tacos, and a burrito later, and I was down a good fifty dollars.

“I don’t think I’ve ever spent so much on one date before,” I joked, skimming through the receipt that had been handed to me to make sure that I hadn’t been over charged or anything.

“Sorry,” Jack mumbled, leaning his body into mine and resting his head on my shoulder, his nose barely brushing against my neck.

“Don’t be,” I dismissed. “Just let me take you out somewhere fancier or something next time, okay?”

“You mean there’s something fancier than Taco Bell?” he mocked around a gasp, pulling away from me to see me better.

Sighing, I shook my head. “Only in a perfect world.” That had him grinning, and seconds later, his lips pressed to my cheek.

“This is, like, the best date I could ever honestly imagine,” he admit.

That seemed a little too easy and kinda, really sad. Instead of pointing it out as such, I simply asked, “Why?”

A shrug. “I’m a man of simple pleasures. Taco Bell, music, hot Cheetos, animals, the Ravens. Boobs are kinda cool, but people don’t like when you look at them.”

“Picture it: we’re in a strip club that has both male and female strippers, and the Ravens are there. The strippers have kittens and puppies onstage and are dancing to the music from your iPod. Taco Bell and hot Cheetos for everyone,” I said, moving my arm from his waist to wrap it around his shoulders and pull his body into mine.

His left hand pressed against my back as his right made itself comfortable on my chest. His big, brown eyes were peeking up at me through the hair hanging in his face, a small smile playing on the edges of his lips. “That could either be really good or really bad,” he pointed out before beginning to laugh.

“Panic at the strip club?”

“Panic at the strip club. Like, the animals would scratch and fight each other, and the puppies would want the Taco Bell, and it’d just be a big mess.”

“Okay, well, take out the animals then. How would that amount to this?”

He blushed a deep pink, twisting himself around as best he could so that his face was buried in my chest. “As long as you’re there,” he said, “then I’m happy.”

Notes